Flip House, San Francisco

Renovation / Merit

This radical reinterpretation of a typical San Francisco rowhouse wowed the jury. “It reinvents the rowhouse renovation typology in a way that’s so fresh,” observed one judge. Architect Anne Fougeron, FAIA, opted to flip the home’s floor plan, placing the main living spaces at the rear of the building and the bedrooms at the front. She consolidated its vertical circulation, removing a series of disconnected staircases in favor of one main, perforated-metal stairwell. The new design also replaces most of the rear façade with a dramatic, faceted glass wall.

This creative arrangement scoops up views of the city and plays with natural light. “The view is off to the side, and we wanted to respond to that,” says principal Anne Fougeron, FAIA. “Now there’s a relationship between the different floors without making the house substantially bigger.”